The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Little Echo’. ‘Little Echo’ represents a new bigleaf hydrangea, a deciduous shrub grown for landscape use and for use as a potted plant in the lightly shaded landscape.
‘Little Echo’ was derived from an ongoing controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Marietta, Ga. The objectives of the breeding program are to develop new cultivars of Hydrangea that exhibit reblooming flowering habits and unique foliage colors.
The Inventor made a cross in summer of 2010 between Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Lemon Daddy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,660) as the female parent and Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Shikizaki’ (not patented) as the male parent. ‘Little Echo’ was selected as a single unique plant from the resulting seedlings in May of 2012.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stem cuttings in Alpharetta, Ga. in September of 2011 by the Inventor. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.